Voodoo Lab

Hey all,

I recently purchased that fantastic duo - GCX and GCPRO 2. I have, however, since encountered a very drastic change in tone. I've re-routed my signal a few times, and the best I can seem to accomplish is something that I'd best describe as sounding like there's a blanket over my cab. I've seemingly lost all top end, and body.

For reference, I'm running PRS guitars into a Mesa Dual Rec, etc etc etc.

Anyone else ever encountered this? Suggestions? I'd really hate to have to go back to my old setup.

Thanks!

-K

Please post more details. What's in the signal chain? How do you have things routed? Even a picture can be helpful.

The best approach is to find the simplest configuration that still has a problem. You can do this by taking the current setup and remove things one at a time. Or start from the beginning and add things one at a time. For example:

1. Guitar direct to amp. Sound okay?
2. Guitar to GCX front panel guitar in, then rear guitar out to amp. Sound okay?
3. GCX guitar out to loop#1 IN, OUT to amp. Sound okay?

Get the idea? Please post what you find out.

Thanks!
Josh Fiden
Founder / CEO

Thanks for your insight, Josh. I have tried to eliminate things from the chain, but here's what is currently going on.

Loop 1 houses an EVH phaser. I'm going from guitar in (front), thru back to loop 1 in/out, including the send/return for the pedal. The out feeds my tuner, which feeds my BBE Sonic Maximizer, to the front of my amp.

Loops 5, 6, 7, 8 are my Dual Rec Channels. Everything switches wonderfully, but there is noticeable tone differences.

Also, I've taken 4 pedals out of my effects chain, as they are going into the GCX loops...I understand that there is now less impedance on my signal, but I can't understand how that would change my overall tone character.

Lastly, I had a Rocktron Hush after my BBE, which is no longer in use.

Ideas?

Thanks again!

-K

You need to find the simplest configuration that still shows the problem as I described above. Don't worry about the channel switching, it's not in the signal path and should have no effect.

Saying there is "less impedance on your signal" doesn't make any sense. Each device in your signal chain has an input impedance and an output impedance. The output is the source impedance driving the next device in the chain. Problems occur at the interface between two devices.

When you say there are noticeable tone differences, what are you comparing to? Are you comparing the entire rig to guitar direct to amp?

Take the output of loop #1 direct to your amp with the loop bypassed. How does that sound? If that doesn't sound right, go straight from the GUITAR OUT to the amp. Each step backwards you are eliminating some cabling, which is a likely problem.

I would never route audio through the tuner. Since the GCX provides a split GUITAR OUT on the rear panel, take the other output there to drive your tuner. This way you aren't degrading your signal with the tuner's buffer.

Good luck and report back!

Josh Fiden
Founder / CEO

Hey Josh, would you suggest taking the "out" from the final pedal loop, and passing it through my BBE Sonic Maximizer, then to the amp?

I definitely missed the split out for my tuner, and have corrected it. However, I want the BBE on at all times. How can I do this?

Thanks again for you invaluable assistance!

-K

If you want the Maximizer on all the time, then routing into it from the last loop and out to your amp is exactly correct.

Did you see a big improvement getting the tuner out of the signal chain?

Absolutely! Everything is back as I remember, but with the ease of use from the GCP and GCX. Thank you, not only for a great product, but the best customer support I've ever had.

Look for us on the road!

-Kyle
Guitars, Kodessa